Id Curse
by Jetstream Girge
Summary: The Shepherds are once again called upon by Naga to save a world from the brink of destruction. But fate desires for this world to be destroyed and it has forced Robin to make a decision that shocks Naga herself. An alternate telling of the events of the final mission of the Future Past DLC.
1. Desperation

**Greetings everyone! For those who do not know me, I am Jetstream Girge. I have been writing in the Elsword archive for a while, but had a few Fire Emblem ideas that I wanted to write. This will only be a couple chapters long, so it will not run for a very long. This is my very first attempt at a Fire Emblem fan fiction, so I hope it is up to snuff. So without further ado, here is my first chapter of Id Curse!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem or any of its content. The art for the cover image is also not my own. All credits for art go to the original artist.**

* * *

"Home at last." These words floated out of the mouth of the blue-haired male as he took in a deep breath of air, savoring its taste. It felt like an eternity since he had last set foot in Ylisse, but in truth it had only been less than a day. After all, the Outrealms operated according to rules of their own, separate from the world that the Exalt of Ylisse knew.

But there was another reason he felt as if centuries had passed…

"Chrom… Are you going to tell Lucina?" A pegasus of ebony color swooped down until it was lightly tapping the ground with its hooves as it glided through the air, its rider looking at the Exalt with sad eyes.

"Gods Sumia… What am I supposed to tell her; that her husband and my best friend decided to sacrifice his life to save an Outrealm?" He brought a hand to the bridge of his nose and winced as he tried to hold back the tears. "You know how she is about people sacrificing their lives, even if it is for the greater good."

"I know that, but still… She is our daughter, and she is not stupid. She will notice he is not amongst the group that left when we were summoned by Naga." The dark flier's eyes were noticeably shimmering with tears as well.

"Please Sumia, don't cry. You will set me off and everyone else if you do." Chrom choked on the words as he drove the sobs down his throat.

Yes, he was sad. But he was just as angry. Angry that Naga allowed Robin to make such a foolish decision.

He thought back to earlier in the day and the events that led up to the tactician's demise…

* * *

"Well met, Outrealm warriors." An all too familiar voice rang throughout the seemingly endless room. The Shepherds had once again entered the Outrealm Gate to the south of Ylisse in order to train against the phantoms they often ran into in the alternate universe. This time however…

"Naga. So this must be about that alternate future again…" It was not the first time Naga had called on Chrom and his Shepherds to aid in some Outrealm struggle. They had already intervened in several conflicts throughout the worlds, including a desperate bid to defend their children in the far future from a preemptive demise. And all of that was coming to a head it seemed.

"Indeed. Thanks to you, the eight children you assisted managed to reach Ylisstol. Meanwhile, three more took the Emblem and the final Gemstone to the princess. But their time, too, grows short. They and the princess are soon fated to die at the fell dragon's hands. If the princess is lost, nothing can save their world from its demise. Please... You must intervene before it is too late." The unease in the goddess' voice was palpable.

This future seemed to always find a way to bring the world to destruction. First it was the uphill battle to protect four children while they made off with Gules and Azure. Next was a pitched battle against wave after wave of heavy mounted Risen that saw the Shepherds holding them off until two more escaped with Argent and Sable and protect the decoys long enough for them to flee as well. Each time, it was as if some greater power was working to ensure the world would be plunged into despair. And here they were again, but Chrom's answer was the same as the last two times…

"Don't worry. We'll save them all." His voice was filled with conviction and hope. It was the same voice that drove his allies to put their faith in his ideals for peace, not just worldwide, but across all worlds. And it was this voice that could even put a god at ease.

"Thank you. Then I will send you now to the brink—the moment in time before the world falls. Again I offer the same counsel. The world you are about to visit bears a great resemblance to your own. You may encounter people you know or people you love... If you do, fight by their sides. It will give them great courage and strength." Naga smiled at the young man's determination as she once again briefed the fighters on what was to come.

"I understand." Chrom motioned for his soldiers to prepare for battle, and the clinking of metal plates and the sliding of steel rang through the endless hall.

"This will likely be your final battle in their world. Now that my Voice there has been silenced, I cannot bind your worlds together for long. Still, I believe you will find the faint light of hope sleeping within the fell dragon. I believe that you will work a miracle greater than any despair he can sow. Now go, warriors. Let destiny once again be reshaped by your hands!" With a final call to arms, the goddess vanished, leaving the otherworldly warriors to prepare for coming battle…

"We don't know what we will run into, just like all the other battles we have fought in this Outrealm." Robin was standing before a door of light that shined some ways down the endless hall; the entrance to their final confrontation in this Outrealm. "Just do what we have doing so far. Find the children and keep them safe. Kellam, you will be instrumental in this. Find the most weakened child and defend them."

No one heard him answer, but it could be assumed that he was nodding so hard that it was a miracle not a single person heard his armor rattle around. Regardless, Robin continued to distribute roles to the different Shepherds. He finally came to Chrom.

"Chrom, you heard what Naga said, right?" He looked his friend in the eye, gauging his reaction.

"Of course. The princess is in danger. Which means…" Chrom's eyes were hard as the realization dawned upon them. "Lucina… My daughter… Is in peril."

"Looks like it. We'll protect her Chrom. Don't worry. She is my wife after all." Robin suddenly lifted a finger in the air as if to pause. "Actually, technically my wife is back in Ylisse and this one is an entirely different person…"

"Please don't make it even more complicated, Robin. My head hurts enough thinking about all this crossing-worlds stuff." Chrom seemed to have developed a habit of bringing his hand to the bridge of his nose whenever he did not want to think since he took the throne a couple years back.

"Is that an order, Exalt?" The grandmaster smirked at the great lord, earning him a good-natured glare from his friend.

"Need you ask?" An exasperated huff flew out of Chrom's mouth.

"Alright, alright. We'll keep it simple then. You and Sumia stay by Lucina and protect her. I'll stay to the rear and cover you as we advance or retreat." Robin now set his hand on his friend's armored shoulder, causing Chrom to smile.

"That would be very much appreciated, my friend. Though… Are you sure you are fit to be fighting now?" His eyes now narrowed in concern; and for good reason.

"I don't hear Grima's voice anymore. I think it is safe to say that it is completely gone. But…" The tactician's eyes suddenly found the floor very interesting. "It still doesn't change what I am. In order to contain Grima, I sacrificed all those Plegians on the Dragon's Table…"

"Robin, what you did saved countless more lives. As it stood, we would have needed a miracle to defeat Grima if he was resurrected. The fact that you were able to accept his power and then destroy his consciousness, the consciousness of a GOD no less, saved so many people than were sacrificed." Now it was Chrom's turn to reassure his friend with a supportive hand as well.

"Thank you, Chrom. As for if I am fit to fight, you saw how I did the last couple times we were here. As long as I don't tap into Grima's powers, everything should be fine." Robin gave off an almost careless grin as Chrom lightly punched his shoulder.

"Just because Lucina isn't here to keep an eye on you doesn't mean you get to be reckless. No one will blame you if you decide to back out now." Chrom looked his friend in the eye as he continued. "Frankly, I would rather see you living a normal life with my daughter and your child, Morgan. They are waiting for you and I don't want to be the one to tell them that you got possessed by a demon dragon god."

"Don't worry. You won't have to, Chrom." Robin gave one last reassuring smile as he looked up from their conversation. He now found the Shepherds prepared for battle. They were armed with the best weapons they found, were stocked up on elixirs in the event they needed a quick heal, and their gazes steeled with determination.

"That's your queue, esteemed leader." He nudged Chrom playfully in the ribs who took a moment to clear his throat.

"Everyone, as Naga said, this will likely be the final battle in this world. We don't know what is on the other side of that portal, but we must save these children and avert this disastrous destiny. Now raise your weapons and let those Risen know we are coming to kick their rotting arses out of here!" Drawing Falchion, he lifted the holy blade and was greeted with the battle cries of his soldiers. "Let's go! Time to change destiny!"

With a final call to arms, Chrom, closely followed by Robin and the rest of the Shepherds marched through the portal. But they were not prepared for the devastation that lied on the other side…

* * *

From the top of Ylisstol, the rising smoke from the burning city created a hazy wall about the battlements. All that could pierce the grim barrier was the orange glow of raging flames and countless pairs of glowing red eyes from airborne Risen. However, as nature would have it, a draft of air kept the suffocating mass away from the roof proper, giving Lucina, Gerome, Severa and Laurent a clear view of the spanning stone structure. Unfortunately, they probably would have rather been blinded by the smoke so their hopes would not be shattered by not only the countless Risen seeming to appear out of thin air, but the figure standing at the opposite end of Ylisstol.

His physical features were rather unimpressive, possessing an average build and weight and an unbecoming face and clothed in robes of black and highlights of purple. His hair was probably the feature that stood out the most of his appearance, its stark white coloration standing out against the blackened sky. In fact, if not for the fact that a persistent aura of shadows pulsed around him and his human eyes giving off a crimson glint, the four children would not have spared him another look. But they knew who this was.

It was Grima, or at least the evil dragon god's avatar. A vessel meant to carry the will of the powerful being into the land and nothing more. Already the thing had taunted them with words of despair and destruction, having been personally responsible for the death of Lady Tiki only moments ago. And with Naga having forsaken this world and Mount Prism overrun with Grima's horde, hope was now beyond faint, not even a glimmer.

This was further reinforced when the avatar of the evil dragon disabled them with devastating magic. As far as they knew, this was only a fraction of the fell dragon's power, but all four of them were left on their knees, gasping for breath as their bodies were racked with excruciating pain.

All of this compounded with Cynthia and Owain's group being delayed by Risen forces to bring the remaining Gemstones left the princess and her friends in a very dire situation. Lucina was a strong girl with an iron will forged through hardship and strife and an unshakeable drive to conquer evil. But now, even her faith in a better tomorrow was shaken by this display of power. For the first time in her life, the thought of surrendering to this grim fate crossed her mind.

That was when they appeared.

As though they were sent down from the heavens as one last blessing, several armed soldiers flashed into existence from the sky. Not only that, she recognized several of them as members of the old Shepherds. She could see Cordelia, the mother of Severa, Miriel, Laurent's mother and Cherche, the woman who gave birth to and left Minerva to Gerome. Even Minerva was with her!

But, the ones she was most shocked to see were the two people in front of her. She did not need to see their faces as they were facing the fell dragon's avatar, but she knew that pegasus of black fur and head of blue hair anywhere. She felt a lump in her throat and sobs of joy about to overtake her when she heard a voice behind her.

"Lissa! Maribelle! Get to work on getting the children healed up! They can't afford another hit like that in their condition!" She was about to turn and face the owner of the commanding tone, but the relief from the healing light of fortify staves made her pause. She felt strength rush back into her limbs and her breathing instantly improved. Knowing that now was not the time to throwing curious glances around, she rose to her feet and stared down her enemy.

As much as she wanted to embrace her parents and cry in their arms, that had to wait. The fell dragon stood before them and was poised to strike. And it wasted no time in doing so. Waves and waves of Risen charged forward, the foot soldiers scrambling over rubble and leaping over the holes in the floor (technically roof, but this was all in perspective) as the flying troops dived at them from the blackened clouds of smoke overhead.

"Lucina! Retreat to the stairs behind us! We'll cover you and the others! Go!" Once again, the commanding call resounded behind her and in her mind, the layout of Ylisstol appeared. There were indeed several sets of stairs in that direction and the last time she checked they were intact. It would be a great defensive position where they could bottleneck the Risen forces in order to lick them off one by one. So she quickly called out to Gerome, Severa and Laurent, who were just recovering from the shock of their parents seemingly return from the dead.

"Gerome! Severa! Laurent! Retreat to the stairs! We can hold them off from there!" Her answers came in the form of a rather long verbal acknowledgement from Laurent, a nod from Severa and Minerva's cry. Now with a plan she wheeled around to sprint for the staircase, and noticed a brief streak of white.

Wait… white?

She spun to get a better look at the blur, but was blocked off by Minerva's, Cherche's Minerva's, wings as the veteran wyvern lord barreled forward and cleaved two falcon riding Risen in a single swipe. Lucina was forced to turn and continue her flight along with her friends to the other side of the roof, only catching glances of the chaos around her.

It was incredible. She had heard stories of the Shepherds' prowess in battle, but seeing it in person was something else entirely. Cordelia and her husband Lon'qu looked like they were performing a choreographed dance with their weapons, leaving scores of slain Risen fading away at their feet (or under the wings of the pegasus, in Cordelia's case). Cherche and Vaike, a veteran Shepherd from the group's founding and Gerome's father, swatted aside even the general class of Risen as though they were toys. Nothing got past the devastating magic combination of Ricken and his wife Miriel. If they were not incinerated by the female sage's flames, they were torn to shreds by the male's blades of wind.

And then there were her parents. She had seen her father practice his fencing before and her mother's lance work. The duo was unstoppable, even as they were protecting a fleeing comrade. Chrom stood at the front of the formation, cutting down each Risen soldier that dared to cross his path. The few that got past him were either blasted by Sumia's magic or ran through with her lance. Her pegasus even stomped on a couple of the undead troops' faces for good measure. She could not believe that she would get to see such a show of power and cunning. They were as powerful if not more than the stories she heard from the townsfolk after their passing. She recognized Maribelle and aunt Lissa in the middle of the defensive formation the Shepherds threw up, occasionally sending magical attacks into the Risen ranks, sending out bolts of lightning from Lissa's bolt axe or healing the rare injury, even the self-inflicted ones. (Vaike nearly dislocated his wrist when he attacked a pile of rubble, saying it looked like it had those glowing eye things)

Finally, Lucina and her companions made it to the staircase and took a moment to catch their breath and look out over the battle. More and more Risen continued to charge forward, their numbers seemingly limitless, but the Shepherds of old cut them down like wheat. That was when they noticed someone they did not recognize amongst the chaos.

The individual in question was garbed in a dark cloak and was calling out to the other Shepherds with varying commands. He must have been the tactician, as his commands were flawless and calculated. He predicted when and where the Risen were going to strike on their formation and addressed any openings that appeared in the Shepherds' iron wall. It seemed he was quite a capable combatant as well, as he displayed some impressive swordsmanship and annihilated a few unlucky Risen with a powerful bolt from his thoron tome. But they could not make out his features, as his hood was kept up and he never turned from the battle to face them. But it seemed that this water tight defense was his doing and the children were more than grateful for his presence.

After a few more minutes of hectic fighting and occasional conversation with their respective parents, the children noticed that the Risen attacks were becoming less frequent. The initial assault was about over and the Shepherds were now pushing forward, picking off stragglers that tried to slip past them to get to Lucina and company. That was when they heard a laugh that chilled them to the bone.

"For a final gambit, Naga, this one is certainly the best you can muster. But even legendary warriors from beyond cannot stop me. Let me show you…" The fell dragon's avatar spoke in a terrifying tone that seemed to warp the very air itself. "True despair…"

At his declaration, Lucina saw the avatar raise on of his arms as though beckoning to something and her blood froze. A great dark shape rose from behind the palace and thrust its head through the veil of smoke.

It was the fell dragon incarnate. It seemed that the avatar was capable of calling forth the fell dragon itself to do its bidding, and the bonelike snout of the dragon inched closer to the Shepherds.

"Oh gods…" This was all Lucina could muster before the maw of the dragon unleashed a stream of dark flames that swept across the battlefield.

"Everyone get down!" The man in the hood cried out and the Shepherds scrambled for cover behind anything they could find. Lucina, Gerome, Laurent and Severa dove further down the stairs to avoid the wildfire and escaped with no injuries. But the flames were not even hot; they could not feel any sort of heat coming from them. But they felt an incredible pressure about them, one that could not be described save terrifying. If they were caught in that attack, they would have been utterly destroyed. They were flames meant to snuff the life from any that were caught in its wake.

But what about the Shepherds?

After the flames subsided, the children scrambled up the stairs, their hearts in their throats. To their relief, their heroes were alive and kicking, but they looked worn. Lissa and Maribelle were already casting their best restoration magics on the group, but even as they brought their weapons to the ready again, it was clear that they were clearly on the brink.

A single attack? That was all it took?

Grima's minions did not waste the opportunity. They surged forward with relentless ferocity at the Shepherds' buckling defenses. They were still able to ward them off, but they were getting injured more often and allowing for some soldiers to get past them. The princess and her friends were forced to finally defend themselves as these stragglers attacked them. There were not many of them, but they were steadily increasing in number.

"Incoming! Miriel! Ricken! It's looking at you!" A panicked cry erupted from the hooded man towards the sage duo, who whipped their heads to the great dragon above them. Dark flames leaked from its mouth as its six crimson orbs focused on them. With a chilling roar, it unleashed a ball of the same dark flames as before, forcing Miriel to dive into her husband to push them both under a ruined statue of a past Exalt. The attack exploded in a ground shaking blast and the flames scattered around the impact site.

"Mother! Father!" Laurent cried out to his parents, gripping hat with worry. To his great relief, they crawled out from the safety of their cover, but they were visibly shaking with weakness. A pair of Risen warriors leaped at the magic wielding duo and nearly severed their heads from their bodies, but a two bolts from the tactician's thoron tome ensured that they survived. Miriel and Ricken took the chance to uncork their respective elixirs that were tied to their belts and took a swig from the powerful concoctions. In no time at all, they back to fighting, but were visibly less fluid and quick as they were before.

Things were looking worse now. The fell dragon's avatar was commanding the dragon to send occasional attacks at the Shepherds, forcing them to break formation lest they be consumed by its flames. And after each attack they would grow weaker and weaker, leading to more injuries and slip ups. The children were now fighting off large groups of Risen that made it past their guardians and were now struggling to ward them off.

But the Risen continued marching forward, throwing themselves at the Shepherds and the children. And with the support of the fell dragon above it was clear that it was now an uphill battle and the hill was only getting taller and taller.

"This can't be how it ends… Not like this. Not when we finally had a glimpse of hope." Lucina muttered under her breath. "Naga, please… save us…" Hopelessness finally began to overtake her, she was pleading for her life and for the lives of those that were fighting before her. But Naga was gone and these warriors from beyond were her last blessing. She could not expect any more aid from the benevolent god. Only the devil could save them from this grim fate…

* * *

"Cordelia! Lon'qu! It's coming for you next! Take cover!" At Robin's cry, the flacon knight swooped down and scooped up her husband moments before another ball of death exploded where he stood moments ago. The deadly flames licked at them and the force of the explosion threw Cordelia and her passenger off the flying mount, sending them to ground where they struggled to stand back up.

"Lissa! Maribelle!"

"On it!" Even though the war cleric claimed she was still firing on all cylinders (he could not understand what that meant) Robin could hear her voice quivering from exhaustion. The healing duo quickly rejuvenated the injured pair and the fighting pair was able to fend off the Risen attempting to take advantage of their situation until Cordelia's mount returned. They were only barely able to escape before they were surrounded.

Heaving a relieved sigh, Robin focused on the battle once again. Everything had been going according to plan initially. The children were able to escape to a more defensible position and the Shepherds had started pushing the Risen back.

But since the fell dragon began to rain its fire down on them, it quickly turned into a struggle to survive, with each of the evil god's breaths bringing them closer and closer to death. Though he sounded as confident as he always did, he was panicking.

At this rate, if the Risen did not kill them when they were too exhausted to fight Grima would destroy them with its flames of death. Robin did not account for the fell dragon itself to bring its might to bear in his initial plans, but here it was, and it was tearing apart his comrades. Normally, he would have Chrom and Sumia charge forward and take out the avatar, but with constant wave of Risen throwing themselves at them, the royal couple could only stand their ground. If they broke formation to attack Grima, the Risen would either flank them or swarm over the children.

Either way, it was a loss on their end and the fell dragon would probably kill them anyways. Those flames were capable of snuffing out life itself instead of burning like normal flames. It explained why Grima continued its assault even as its minions threw themselves in the line of fire. They were already dead and were not affected by the deadly flames. So Grima could fire its attacks into the fray with reckless abandon until the Shepherds laid dead before it.

"Robin! Stay strong! We can do this!" Chrom's call shook the grand master from his panicked stupor. The great lord continued to cut a swath through the legions of Risen, but his sword play was getting more and more sloppy. Sumia was forced to come to his aid more frequently rather than pick off the stragglers, and she and her mount were showing signs of wear. Things were looking bleak.

Robin shot an angry glare at the head of the dread dragon hanging overhead.

"If only we could force its focus elsewhere… But what do we have that will grab its attention without putting everyone else at risk?" Ideas spun in his head as he tried to figure out some way to draw the beast's attention away from his allies. But everything he came up with would likely result in one of his comrades perishing. He had made it this far without having to sacrifice a single person and losing none to any unforeseen events on the battlefield, and he would be damned if that changed now.

Then it hit him. They did have something that could ward off the fell dragon.

Chrom had undergone the Awakening at Naga's urging after Robin contained Grima in their world in the event he would ever lose control. But that was not what he had in mind. Robin even consulted with the god to find out that if Grima were to resurrect, the only way to vanquish him for good was to have him deal the killing blow to himself. In other words, commit suicide. This meant Robin held the power to fell this beast in this world if the same rules applied.

Of course there were risks to what he was considering, but he could change the course of this battle with this crazy idea. And if his friends and allies could live at his expense so be it.

"Chrom… I am sorry…" The whisper barely made it to the lord's ear and he turned to see his friend engulfed in a black aura; the same black aura that Grima's avatar emitted.

"Robin, what the hell are you-"

"Everyone! Get ready to push them back! I am going to keep Grima occupied! Don't worry about me!" With this declaration, Robin raised his arm and made a deal with the devil.

He tapped into the powers that he gained from the Dragon's Table, the lives of thousands of Plegian citizens, and brought it forth for all to see.

With a great knell of terror a head rose from the smoke behind him, and then flourished its fangs; Grima incarnate of his world.

"I will damn myself and live a life of suffering if it is to save my friends. Grima, here I come!" The head shot forth on its serpentine neck and engaged the other fell dragon with its great fangs.

The battle of the gods had begun…

* * *

**So here is my first shot at Fire Emblem fan fiction. I hope it came out alright. Please Read and Review so I can get an idea about how I am doing so far. Critical reviews are HIGHLY valued. Thank you for reading! Until next time!**


	2. The Promise

**I am finally off hiatus and my lazy arse. All my other stories are getting backed up, so I had to get something done to get me back into the swing of things. I was planning on ending this story here, but it seems that there is still a little too much to cover, so there will be one more chapter after this. Here is the next installment of Id Curse! Enjoy!**

* * *

"Gods… Is this the end?" What Lucina saw could only be described as a calamity. One Grima was enough to plunge the world into ruin and despair. _Two_ Grimas would amount to hope itself dying. Her feet were rooted to the ground as she stared, terrified, at the two dark scaly titans. Had it not been for Gerome's lance, a pegasus mounted Risen would have skewered her while she was paralyzed.

"Lucina! Stay focused! Look closely!" The masked wyvern rider pointed at the dragons. Freed from her fear, though not completely forgotten, the princess took a second look at the fell dragons.

Her mind went blank again, but for an entirely different reason than terror. "They are… fighting?" They were indeed locked in combat, snapping at one another with their great fangs and breathing blackened flames at their adversary. What in the gods' names was going on?

Lucina was racking her brain trying to discern how another fell dragon spawned over Ylisstol when she remembered something; the first Grima was summoned by that white-haired man on the other side of the roof.

If the same applied to the second Grima…

Lucina followed the trail of darkness dripping from the new dragon with her eyes until they fell on the source: the cloaked tactician. A sickening cloud of shadows pulsed around him as he waved his arms about. At his silent urgings, the evil dragon above him moved in tandem, as if he were conducting a macabre troupe.

Lucina slowly settled into a combat stance, Falchion pointed at this man. "He is the one…" she muttered under her breath and Gerome turned to follow her gaze. He too brought his lance to the ready and Minerva growled threateningly. Even if this man was controlling the one thing that was holding 'their' Grima at bay, he was still controlling the object of terror for the people of Altea. The princess prepared to charge forward, intending to impale the tactician on her holy blade, but then someone leaped in her path.

It was Chrom, or rather the man that came from the sky whose appearance was very like her late father. He shouted at her intended target, not realizing he had inadvertently spared the tactician. "Robin! What the hell are you doing!?" At his cry, the cloaked man turned his head away from the battle in the sky.

Lucina could barely make out a small smile underneath the hood and black wisps. "I swore to protect my friends, no matter the cost. Chrom, rally the Shepards and prepare to advance. Without the fell dragon to support them, the Risen will be easy to route." He shook his head in the direction of the other evil avatar. "Get to other side of the roof and take out that guy. Once the Grima of this world falls, victory is ours. Go!" As he turned back to his rumbling duel in the sky, Chrom grasped for his shoulder, but the lord's hand only found the hood.

Lucina felt her breath hitch in throat. A head of white hair shone through the darkness surrounding him and his otherwise unimpressive appearance was all too familiar.

It was the same face as the evil avatar on the other side of the roof.

"What in Naga's name…" Her voice was a whisper only she could hear. This tactician and her sworn enemy looked so alike they might as well have been the same person. _Wait… Mother and Father earlier said that they were not the same people as my parents, but were from another world. Could it be that man is different than the enemy, even if they are so alike?_ Lucina's mind was spinning like a rat being chased by a cat.

"How… HOW!?" A bestial roar of anger snapped the princess out of her stupor. The first Grima avatar was directing its hands in erratic motions, trying to ward off this new foe. "How have you come to control this power!? My will is absolute! Even that remains true across the fabric of worlds. How can a mere mortal manipulate this power!?" Grima was furious. This new opponent not only dared to oppose it, but dared to mimic its deadly abilities as if they were its own. It would not – COULD not – stand for this.

"Well then, I guess it's a good thing I am not a mere mortal then," the man called Robin retorted as he commanded his fell dragon to sweep low across the roof and knock several Risen into the air and to their demise below. "Without the Gemstones at your Table, you are only operating at a fraction of your power. I on the other hand…" Another flick of the wrist and the incarnated dragon head rushed forward and closed its jaws around the other Grima's neck. "Have access to its full power. Now let's see how yo – GAH!"

A cry of pain cut his taunt short and Robin dropped to his knees. His dragon puppet relieved its hold on its enemy and swayed about in a daze. _What is happening? _Lucina could not tear her eyes from the agonized man, even if he did control Grima.

"Damn it… Just… A little more…" She could barely make out a pained whisper float from his lips as he stood once again and brought his familiar to the ready…

* * *

_That was foolish of you. Power such as mine does not come without a price, boy. Now, surrender your body to me as you were destined to! _After spending so long without hearing the fell dragon's voice in his mind, Robin almost forgot what was speaking. But the evil sensation that accompanied it was not so easily forgotten. He remembered the overwhelming and terrible power that almost took his body before.

_You should know better. Beings such as I do not die so easily. Did you think that besting me in a game of wits and destroying my conscious would be enough to end me? What hubris! _The voice rang through his head like achurch bell, racking his body with searing pain. _What's the matter, boy? You summoned me did you not? My consciousness is power, and my power is my consciousness. You cannot have one without the other. For a tactician, your insight is weak! _Its taunting ravaged his mind and threatened to overthrow Robin's hold over his body.

"Shove it you lizard. You can have my body…" He swept his arm across his chest and his dragon rammed into its otherworldly counterpart. "After it fades to dust!" He defied the fell dragon's will with every fiber of his being. He could not lose to it now.

"Once more… Just one more time... It is time… Time to tip the scales!"

* * *

Chrom was at a loss.

His best friend just harnessed the dark powers of his fell blood in order to turn the tide of battle. With his dragonic familiar, Robin was able to draw the other foul beast's attention from the Shepherds and allow them to regroup.

The warrior in him told him to not waste this opportunity. The man in him told him to save his friend. But how could he save his friend from a now invisible foe? He recognized the way Robin's face was contorting; it was just like when they were combating Validar at the Dragon's Table in their world.

Validar had used his dark influence to weaken Robin's mind to Grima's control, giving the dread being temporary control of the tactician's body. Using the opportunity, Grima used its vessel's lightning magic to fatally wound Chrom, or that was its plan had Robin not subconsciously weakened the attack's power at the last moment. This intervention saved Chrom's life, but left him with an unsightly scar on his abdomen.

He remembered the first time Robin laid eyes on it. His friend had dropped to his knees and pleaded for the Exalt's forgiveness. Chrom never blamed him; after all it was Grima, not Robin that threw the blow. That was not even mentioning Robin's interference saved his life, so Chrom came to look at that scar with pride. It was a badge of faith in their unshakeable friendship, so strong that not even a god could overcome it.

That same scar now pulsed against his ribcage, reminding him of the power that gave him that mark. He looked to his friend, trying to see any way that he could help him. But a demanding glare from the tactician told him everything.

_There is no going back. End it before I am lost!_ That is what Robin's desperate gaze said to him.

"Damn it, Robin… Damn it!" With a cry of fury he raised Falchion into the air. "Shepherds, push back the Risen! Bring down Grima of this world! Let us change fate!" His rally resonated across the rooftop and the Shepherds surged forth with renewed vigor. Even in their exhausted states, they were still a force to be reckoned with and proceeded to cut down every fell soldier that crossed their path.

Chrom did not worry about the children; he knew they were left in capable hands…

* * *

"Severa, watch out!" Laurent threw himself into his friend as a tail black scales smashed the assailing Risen. Though she was in no immediate danger of being crushed, her friend's concern was not exactly misplaced.

"Damn it, Laurent. I saw it coming! It was going to miss me! Now get off, you bookish arse!" The girl shoved off the mage as she pulled herself back to her feet. "Well, I guess that is one way to keep the Risen off our backs…" She was now staring into the sable scales of the 'allied' Grima. The avatar of this dragon commanded it to drop its body on the Risen attacking the children and then act as a barricade, cutting off any of the undead troops' attempts to get back to them.

They were safe, for the time being and from the efforts of Grima no less.

"Lucina!" A familiar cry rang from below the steps and Lucina spun around. To her surprise, a quartet of young men was climbing the staircase.

"Inigo! Brady! Yarne! Owain! You are safe!" Lucina was beyond relieved. She finally had some tangible good news. Her friends had returned and in their hands they bore hope incarnate; Sable and Argent. All they need now was for Cynthia's group to arrive with Gules and Azure, then the Fire Emblem would be prepared for the Awakening ritual.

Lucina was still skeptical, though. She had seen the destruction the fell dragon was capable of. Having two in the same sky would be a calamity on whole new scale. And there was still one thing that concerned this 'friendly' Grima.

If one fell, what was to stop the other from rampaging across the land?

* * *

_Fool! Surrender your will to me. You cannot contain me forever! Give in, you stubborn bag of flesh!_ Grima's voice continued to shout in his mind, shattering Robin's concentration and allowing the other fell dragon to, quite literally, knock a tooth out of his dragon's mouth. Excruciating pain racked his body at the damage, but it reminded Robin of his mortality and gave him the drive to push back Grima's conscious for the moment.

And with that reprieve, he swung his fist in a vicious left hook.

His dragon lashed forward and struck its enemy square in the snout with one of its horns, shattering the bony shell around its great maw. As the pieces fell away, the heroes, both young and old, paused to take in the sight.

What appeared to be a human face was carved into the skeletal jaw. Where the fell dragon's nostrils were supposed to be were instead a pair of closed eyes. The grim countenance extended down until the chin, where it was cut short by the lower jaw. There were no discerning features that pointed to any one individual on it, but it was eerily unsettling.

However, it had no bearing on the fight at hand, so the Shepherds and their dark dragon continued their assault. The dragon would keep the opposing Grima occupied while the Shepherds pressed forward and felled every Risen they came across.

Once again, the tide of battle had shifted.

The Shepherds pressed forward, slaying the undead abominations that threw themselves mindlessly into their formation. Trails of evil dust scattered to the wind as the heroes of legend briskly advanced. With Robin keeping the enemy Grima occupied, they were free to push back the line and encroach on the Risen infested side of the roof. Waves of rotting flesh and empty, red eyes covered the battlefield, but what the Risen had in quantity they lacked quality. It did not matter how many of them there were; the Shepherds cut them down like wheat during the spring harvest.

A small part of Chrom was glad that these undead creatures were here; cutting them down helped take his worried mind off his friend. While he would be the first to admit that he was not the sharpest blade in the armory, he was quite keen when it came to his friends. Back in their world, the prince had to almost literally twist the tactician's arm to get him to speak of the conversation he had with Naga after their final battle in Plegia…

* * *

According to Robin, he was able to defeat the consciousness of Grima, yet keep its dark powers. It was a plan that the grandmaster came up with on the spot when confronted by Validar. After tricking the dark dragon into letting down its guard, Robin had seized its power then turned its own foul energies onto itself, destroying Grima's essence while leaving Robin the reins of its evil powers. The Shepherds had then capitalized on the confusion and finished off the sorcerer, his heinous plans brought to an abrupt end.

Unfortunately, in order to lull the dark god into a false sense of security, Robin had to accept the sacrifices prepared on the Dragon' Table. As a result, thousands of Plegian citizens were consumed by the tactician in order to enact his plan and it provided not only Grima with the strength to begin to manifest, but it gave Robin the fortitude to defeat it in spirit.

Upon their return to Ylisstol, Robin had locked himself in his office, refusing even the company of his wife and Chrom's daughter, Lucina. Not even Morgan, his daughter heralding from a future unknown, was not granted entry. The young tactician had more than once threatened to blast the door open with her magic after her father did not appear for almost half a week, but he finally left the room after the fourth day.

Chrom could remember his tired, bloodshot eyes; they were so lifeless, like Robin had lost the will to live. The fact that his friend did not even take any meals did him no favors either. But, gods bless his daughter and grandchild, Robin's family never left his side. By the next day, color had returned to his face, but his eyes were still empty, only shining with a small light when surrounded by his wife and daughter.

Then the tactician came to the Exalt just over a week after their return.

"Chrom, I need to go to Mount Prism." He remembered the desperation in his companion's eyes when he said that. But it was so sudden, and Chrom did not like it.

"While I am glad that you want to be out and about, Robin, I would like to know why." They were the first words spoken to him beyond the short courtesy greetings since his friend finally left the room. There was definitely something going through his head and, gods be damned, he would find out what.

The grandmaster did not answer at first, opting to wander to the alter that held the Fire Emblem and the Gemstones. But he did not remain silent for long. "Sorry. I meant to say _we _need to go to Mount Prism. Chrom…" The tactician tore his eyes away from the relics to look at his friend. "I want you to perform the Awakening."

Chrom started putting the pieces together, and he did not like where this was going. "You want me to kill you, don't you?" How his voice quivered. After almost losing his best friend, that same compatriot was going to ask for him to take his life.

"I never said that," Robin countered calmly.

"Then why in Naga's name are you asking me to undertake the ritual that will grant me the power to slay Grima when it's already gone? The last remnants of its being are inside you. So why else would you ask this of me!?" Chrom shouted back, but Robin held his hand up to interrupt his rant.

"Yes, it does give you the power to slay Grima. But since I am in control, that power is mine. However…" He found the floor quite interesting at that moment. "I don't know if I can control it. There is so much about this power that I don't understand, and if I lose my hold over it..."

He trembled slightly before looking the Exalt in the eyes. "I don't think I will be Robin anymore. I will become Grima and bring the calamity that Lucina dreads." As the name of his wife left his lips, Chrom saw his irises shrink in fear. He was terrified at the thought of becoming the very object of horror that his intimate still lost sleep over. He was terrified at the thought of being forced to murder his best friend.

He was terrified... of becoming the abomination that manipulated his daughter into a hunter of the innocent and a butcher of friends.

Chrom crossed the room in no less than three paces and clasped his hands onto Robin's quivering shoulders. "That is not going to happen, my friend. I know you are stronger than that. You beat that foul creature once, you can do it again. Please, believe in the bonds tha-"

"I can't! I know I can't!" Robin shouted in distress, interrupting his friend's attempt to console him before his voice fell to a whimper. "Gods… I can still hear them… I can still hear their voices, screaming in agony and begging for the pain to stop…" The young man fell to his knees with his hands to his head. His fingers stabbed into his skull so hard Chrom thought he was trying to break through the bone. Quickly, he moved his own hands to grasp the tactician's and pull them away, holding firmly but as gently as he could manage.

Robin raised his head and sobbed, "I've been broken, Chrom. Just once was enough to reduce me to this. This is not something that will heal or a thing I will just get over given time. I will not be able to resist next time." Tears streaked down his face in salty rivers before dripping onto the stone floor with a quiet patter. "I am a bomb with a fuse down to the powder. I can't…"

Chrom instinctively pulled his companion into a tight embrace. Never before had he seen this man so shaken. He always envisioned him as he always was; kind, insightful and confident. But now he was a ravaged mess of fear and despair.

It must have been ages when Robin finally quieted his weeping, and Chrom pulled away from him. "Alright. We'll do it your way, Robin. But, you must promise me one thing." Bringing his index finger in front of him, he continued, "You will not ask that I strike you down unless you are truly lost. Because I would rather get impaled on another of your lightning spears than run you through when I didn't need to."

The mention of Robin's assailment made the grandmaster visibly wince. But after another moment of contemplation, he returned his eyes to the lord's. "Deal." His voice carried clear relief at his request being granted. A small smile broke out across his lips and pressed a hand to his knee as he pushed himself onto his feet.

"I'll make arrangements for an expedition to Mount Prism in three days. Please get some rest in the meantime." Chrom clapped his hand on Robin's shoulder once more and the tactician took it as his cue to leave. But just as his hands touched the polished handle of the door, the lord called, "And spend some more time with Lucina. I think you need her as much as she needs you now."

A gracious gaze met his eyes as Robin wordlessly nodded and left.

As Chrom promised, three days following their conversation they left for the holy shrine with a small entourage of Shepherds, Lucina and Morgan following along. It was almost like a vacation for them, stopping by rural villages to take part in some seasonal festivities and occasionally stopping along traveling merchants to entertain Lucina's rather unique taste in attire, a trait that Morgan seemed to have inherited.

Once at the benevolent mountain, Chrom was baptized in Naga's fire and his Falchion glowed with righteous power. With the holy blade poised to meet Grima's evil, Robin's fall back plan was in place. He finally began to enjoy the comforts of the post war world with the comfort of a liberating death at hand. Perhaps he knew that he would one day have to be felled by Naga's power and wanted to enjoy life to the fullest.

He and Lucina decided to take a tour of the world; their belated honeymoon they called it. Robin said it was because marching across the continents to make war did not count as a honeymoon. Lucina said it was because all the post war reports in her husband's office threatened to smother the man to death. Regardless of their reasons, they left the capitol to see the land in peacetime. However, because it _was _their honeymoon, Morgan was left in the castle, much to the budding tactician's dismay.

Chrom still remembered all the pranks the energetic teenager pulled on him in her parent's absence. He still had not gotten back at Lissa for giving Morgan the frog-down-the-shirt idea as a form of entertainment. But he endured because he knew the girl was just lonely and bored; mostly bored.

So, their return was met with ecstatic relief. That is until Lucina mentioned something about carrying a child. Then it was fuming rage as Chrom chased Robin through the castle, waving the blessed Falchion about and accusing the grandmaster of falling to the dark dragon. To make the scene more memorable was Sumia chasing after her husband with a stack of books under her arms, using the mostly romance novels as makeshift projectiles to chase off her crazed partner.

Life was returning to normal, it seemed.

That was two months ago. Then the divine dragon herself called on Shepherds to aid a far off Outrealm from the brink of destruction. In the span of a couple weeks, the Shepherds had accomplished most of this. Until they stood where they were now…

* * *

"Chrom!" The shout from his wife snapped the lord back to reality just in time to evade a wild swing from a Risen berserker. Its axe embedded in the stone at its feet, he beheaded the creature with a brutal slash, his holy blade tracing orange contrails through the air. Hearing Sumia heavily sigh in relief at his focus returning, he sent a quick nod in her direction.

"Thanks love."

"Anytime time, honey," she called back as her mount trampled over a pair of undead tricksters foolish enough to stand under it.

Already the Shepherds were close enough to the enemy avatar to see the thing's face contort in anger and frustration. "You insolent roaches! You think you can stop me!? Me, the-"

"Keep your eyes on me." The sudden warning forced the avatar to command his dragon familiar to shield him from the blackened flames of his adversary. A vicious snarl split his features as he could nothing to halt the Shepherds' advance, his hands full warding off his counterpart.

The Risen seemed to detect his desperation, as the ones trying to clamor over the tail of the opposing dragon dropped to the ground and sprinted back across the roof, their unholy moans sounding their attack.

"Miriel! Ricken! Switch to the rearguard!" At Robin's quick command, the sage pair shifted to the rear of their allied rank, losing a barrage of storms and flames that consumed the pursuing undead in a fierce conflagration.

They were only twenty meters from their target, who was still in no position to defend himself from attack. A few more Risen corpses disintegrated as they hit the ground and they were now in striking range.

Seeing the opportunity, Robin flourished his hand in a sweeping motion and clenched it into a fist. His dragonic beast charged forward and latched onto its enemy's horns with its jaws and refused to let go.

"Do it, Chrom!" he shouted from the rear and the great lord sprang forward in a blur of blue and orange. The evil avatar gasped in surprise at the sudden aggression and gathered a orb of shadows into his left hand before unleashing it at his attacker in a thorn bush of deadly spikes.

However, his attention was divided and the spell did not have the power to back up its morbid appearance, allowing Chrom to cut through the field of shadowy needles effortlessly before plunging Falchion into the dark being's chest.

Time seemed to freeze as all stared at the prince and his victim. A sickening drip broke the silence and the avatar looked to his feet. A puddle of black, viscous liquid was pooling under his boots and slowly faded into a dark mist. His head then rose, trembling with ebbing strength to look his killer in the eyes. When his red orbs met blue, a blackened hand reached out and grasped the lord's shoulders.

Chrom gasped in surprise at this sudden surge of strength and attempted to push his foe off the blade with his foot. But a firm grip from that hand kept the dark avatar where he was on the edge.

And then he smiled. A soft, gracious smile like the one Robin wore when Chrom granted his wish to perform the Awakening. "I know you are not my friend of old, but please allow me to say this… Thank you, my friend…" He suddenly coughed a black mist erupted from his mouth as the same black blood leaked from the corners of his mouth. "No one else… has to suffer for my mistakes…"

Chrom could not believe what he was hearing. The warped, bestial voice of Grima was gone, replaced with the soft, yet strong tone of his friend. He whipped his head to the other side of the roof and saw that the Robin he knew still stood there. Bringing his face back to his victim, he opened his mouth to speak, only for the grim avatar to shake his head.

"Don't speak. I do not deserve to hear your words after I betrayed you. This is… I couldn't think of a better end than this…" With a grunt, the man shoved the great lord away from him, Falchion sliding out of his chest with a sickening slip.

Now new noises broke the silence. A weary moan eked out of the remaining Risen and they faded to dust. Above their heads, the foul dragon of the dying avatar let out a piercing shriek before it froze stiff. With its great maw hanging open into the air, it too faded like its Risen minions.

Robin's familiar lifted its tail to allow the children to pass, and they did so warily. But when their eyes fell on the fading dragon above, they halted midstride.

Lucina followed the fell dragon's fading body to its avatar and saw a gentle smile, as though he were content with the outcome. Then he spoke again. "Forgive me, Morgan. I put you through so much. I am so sorry for the suffering I caused you. But no one has to get hurt anymore. No more death… Just… simple…"

With these last words, the man faded away, leaving nothing to mark his existence. The pool of black blood was gone, too.

Everyone seemed afraid to break the silence as if it were an illusion. Like their victory would be proven false should the still air be broken.

So it fell to the sound of Vaike's rump hitting the stone beneath him and his nervous laugh to start everything off. "Hahaha… We did it…" He let his great axe slip from his hand as he allowed his body to collapse ungracefully into a spread eagle position.

At that, everyone cheered. Cries of joy and happy laughter erupted like a just-opened champagne bottle. Lissa and Maribelle danced in a small, ungainly circle. Cordelia and Lon'qu embraced each other tightly and shared a passionate kiss, much to their daughter's disgust. Miriel allowed her young husband to rest his head on her lap as she wiped the sweat from his brow. Minerva decided to playfully poke Vaike around with her snout as Cherche giggled from her saddle. Chrom and Sumia took each other's hands and gazed deeply into their eyes.

"We did it…" Lucina muttered. Her friends' ears perked at her whisper and looked to each other warily before breaking out in smiles.

"It is done. We are finally free…" Gerome chuckled, his stoic persona giving way to joy. That was when they heard rapid steps coming from the stairway. Not a moment later, a blue blur exploded from the stairwell and slammed into Lucina so hard she nearly toppled over.

"Lucy! Oh my gosh, Lucy! Are you all okay!?" Cynthia had arrived, with Kjelle, Nah and Noire trailing close behind. Kjelle had her lance and shield at the ready as she cleared the steps.

"Lucina! We saw Grima spawn above the palace as we entered, but we were forced to take the long way through the lower passages because of Risen. Is everyone al-" Her eyes now fell on the 'friendly' Grima, though she could not make the distinction.

"It's… It's not over yet?" Noire whimpered as she stared at the towering serpent with wide eyes.

"No! No, he is…" Lucina's hand shot out to push the knight's lance down as she contemplated the right word. "Our ally… He saved us." The newcomers looked to their leader with undisguised surprise.

"Lucina… how is _that _friendly? How in the gods'-" Kjelle's retort was cut short when she saw the Shepherds. With a surprised gasp, her weapon clattered to the floor, forgotten.

"What is going on, Lucina? Why is Grima with our parents?" Nah asked nervously, her hand fidgeting with her dragon stone.

"I… I don't know. They just suddenly appeared when Grima attacked. And then he…" She motioned to the tactician who was still wearing his cloak of shadows, though he seemed to be in the process of trying to rid himself of it. "I don't know how he did it, but he was able to summon another… Grima, but under his control. I can't describe it any other way, but if he had not been here we would have been dead long before you arrived."

Brady decided to chime in at this point. "Yeah, you shoulda seen 'im. He was punchin' and bitin' and- Ah who am I kiddin'. He saved our hides!"

"It was the most terrifying thing I had ever seen, two Grimas going at it. But it is definitely on our side." Inigo voiced his approval. Kjelle turned to Laurent, Gerome and Severa, who only shook their heads, indicating for the young knight to let it go. But then she saw Owain trembling, his gaze still fixed on the dragon.

"Owain? Hey, what's the matter?" She jogged up to him and gripped his arm tightly, snapping him from his stupor.

"It… It is…" The myrmidon's voice shook and then found strength. "Magnificent! The ultimate technique of power! The power of a god incarnate! My sword hand… it thirsts for a taste of such vigor!" Kjelle looked at him as if he said one plus one equals three. But it was the final nail in the coffin, so she shrugged it off and dug into her pocket, pulling out two gleaming stones.

"I suppose that means they did the work for us. Guess we won't be needing these then, right?" Gules and Azure; the final two Gemstones. They now had the complete Fire Emblem, now all they needed to do was take the relic to Mount Prism and perform the Awakening ritual. But it was a moot point with Grima gone, felled by Falchion no less.

But the cerulean haired princess shook her head. "No, but it wouldn't hurt to have them in case-"

She then realized the Shepherds had fallen silent. Their jubilant cries filled the sky moments ago, but now it was as still as the moment Grima fell.

But that was when she heard a sound. It was a pained moan, interrupted by occasional grunts. She felt her back go rigid as she turned to face the source of the sound:

The tactician who saved them.

His cape of darkness still had not dispersed, and his hands were on his head as if it were going to split open at the drop of a hat. He was clearly in pain as he groaned in agony. Her father doppelganger ran to the man, hands outstretched.

"Robin, what's wrong? The battle's over. You don't need to-"

"Stay away from me!" The tactician called Robin tried to run away from the lord, but ended up tripping over a dislodged stone, stumbling to the ground, where he curled into a fetal position.

"What's going on!? Are you hurt?" Chrom, unabated continued to walk towards his friend. He then stopped cold, head slightly cocked. "What was that? I can't hear you, Robin. You need to speak up."

"…nnngh… uh… nnngh…" The man on the roof flung himself around like he was trying to shake off the black mist that clung onto him, until he shouted.

"RUN!"

His voice was no longer human, warped into a bestial chorus that was a mixture of a desperate plea and an animalistic roar. And no sooner did he cry out the six gleaming eyes in the dragon above shifted to stare down the Shepherds and the children. It then slowly turned its head, its jaws slightly agape, like a snake sizing up a meal.

"Oh gods… No…" Lucina barely squeezed out this small prayer just as the serpentine head of their new foe snapped forward into the unaware Shepherds of old…

* * *

**So here's the next installment on my spin of the Future Past. Not much else to say except please read and please leave a review if you can spare the time. Even little one or two liners saying it was great or not great. That's all I ask. But in the meantime, I am going to be working on a couple of my other projects before I return to finish this up. Hopefully, with a degree in my hand I will have more time to write. Until next time!**


	3. Cursed

**Hey all! Sorry for the REALLY long wait, but I finally have the final update for Id Curse! Enjoy!**

* * *

"FATHER!" It was horrifying. She had already lost her father to Grima before. To see him taken from her again, this time before her very eyes, threatened to send Lucina into the depths of despair. Her knees felt weak and Falchion began to slip from her fingers when a shout ran through her ears.

"Lucina! Get away from him!" Gerome's cry combined with his mount's roused the princess from her stupor in time to see the dragon's maw pull away from the floor. Despite its earlier aggression, the remaining Grima did not break through the roof with its attack, leaving instead a ruined crater. Her blue eyes swept warily over the new landmark and noticed something odd.

_Where are the bodies? Did it eat them when it attacked? No. I never saw its mouth open wide enough to consume any of them, right? _She looked to the dragon's snout warily and felt her breath hitch in her throat. _There's no blood on it, or limbs or cloth. If it didn't crush them or eat them, where did the Shepherds go? _That was when she heard the dragon's avatar cry in relief.

"Thank Naga! Thank you!" The man was prostrated on the ground, bowing to some unseen entity, tears streaming down his face. "She saved them! Thanks be to Naga!"

Lucina didn't understand what was taking place. This was probably the most insane day she ever had. It started out as a normal day warding off Risen that spiraled into a siege on the palace proper. In the midst of holding off the undead hordes, Grima attacked and killed the Voice, forcing Lucina and her friends to the roof as they made a bid for time. Then the Shepherds of old appeared in their darkest hour, slayed Grima, with the aid of _another_ Grima of their own no less, and the rest of Lucina's companions returned safe and sound. Then this happened.

The princess' mind was exhausted, and having her parents and her heroes taken from her once again, even if their demise was unconfirmed at best, was the straw that broke the camel's back. With an angry, grief-stricken cry, she brought Falchion to the ready and sprinted across the roof towards their former 'ally.' Robin turned to face her and his eyes went wide with terror.

"No! Stay away fro- GAH!" His voice warped into a distorted tone before continuing. "Hahahahaha! Come, tiny one! Meet your parents' fate!"

Her mind was too tired to stop her body's suicidal assault. She reached her 'foe' in a flash and thrust her blade forward, intending to pierce the tactician's chest.

But it never reached him. A dark hand gripped Falchion's edge and held it inches away from him. "What a day to return to my former power. Not only did I get the chance to kill your father, again I might add, but I got to kill a _god_! What a day! And I know the perfect way to top it all off…"

Her former ally leaned forward, the tip of Falchion now touching his chest. "Your blood scattered over this palace will make this the greatest day in my long life," he whispered into her ear before leaning back again, finally shattering her grief induced mania.

"Ah..." She tried to pull away from her opponent, but his grip remained strong, fueled by the dark god's dark magic. Lucina's instincts kicked in and she slammed the palm of her free hand onto the end of Falchion's hilt, causing the holy blade to jerk through the shield of darkness surrounding the avatar's hand. With a hiss, he threw the weapon from his grasp, trying to throw the princess off balance, but her exhausted body rolled with the motion, bringing her back to her feet in a fluid somersault…

Right into one of Grima's spells. A sphere of unholy power struck her in the chest and sent Lucina to her knees, gasping for breath. And before she could calm her ravaged lungs, a black tail of ebon scales whipped out from below the palace and struck her in the abdomen. The last thing she felt before falling unconscious was her ribs being shattered like glass and her head smacking into the ruined wall behind her.

"Lucy!"

"Lucina!"

Her friends cried out as they saw her slump lifelessly against the rubble. It was over so fast. Was this the true power of Grima? Was this what it was truly capable of?

"Ah, that's right. You're all still here…" the grim figure chuckled, slowly raising a hand towards them. "If you didn't have the Emblem and Gemstones with you, I would have ignored you like the gnats you are. But…"

A sudden wave of agony overwhelmed the children, bypassing armor and magical resistance like it was never there. "Since you do, you get to watch as your last hope - the last carrier of Naga's _divine_ blood - is torn to pieces."

They were helpless. Their nerves screamed in torture as they writhed on the ground like drowning ants, but their eyes never left their unconscious friend.

"You sick… underhanded… lying… arse… Don't you _dare _touch Lucina," Severa gasped as she dragged her twitching body along the ground towards Grima. With an annoyed countenance, the former tactician strode to her in no less than three paces and glared at her from above. Once he was sure he had her attention, his boot met her face, rolling the girl over onto her back with blood flowing freely from her crooked nose.

"Still your tongue. You'll need it to scream once I get started on you, but first things first." He raised his hand into the air and the dragon familiar lowered its head to the roof. And it was staring right at the defenseless princess.

_Stop it! Don't touch her! I'll kill you! _A voice resonated in Grima's head. That stubborn grandmaster still existed in the depths of its power it seemed.

"Just shut up and watch. With her death, I will break you and gain full control of this body. But don't fret." As it spoke to its invisible companion, the Grima possessed avatar slowly lowered its hand towards Lucina. The dragon then deliberately inched towards her, one of its deadly horns poised to skewer the last Exalt. "I will give you control once I impale her, then you will get to see her life fade before your very eyes!"

The sharp horn drew ever closer and closer.

"No… Lucina…" Severa coughed from her prone position, unable to move anything other than her lips.

"Lucy…"

"Lucina…"

All her friends were effectively disabled, only having enough strength to utter their friend's name and watch.

Closer…

Closer…

Closer…

Finally, the horn was pressed up against her slowly rising chest.

"Would you like to do the honors, _dear_?" the avatar sneered to its unseen partner.

And then the most unexpected thing happened. Half of the tactician's face contorted into a disgusting grimace and a lance of lightning appeared in its left hand. The other half of the face showed absolute astonishment.

"GO TO HELL!" the human voice screamed and raised his magical weapon into the air and thrust it towards his chest.

"I DON'T THINK SO!" the god's voice shouted and the right hand shot up to knock the blow off course, sending it instead into the left leg.

"GAH!" both voices cried out as the tactician fell to his knees, the crackling spear still stuck in his leg.

"You fool! You missed your chance to kill me, now pay the price for your arrogance!" The right hand once more raised into the air before coming back down, the signal to end Lucina's life.

"NOOOOOOO!" The left hand was drawn into a fist and appeared to be pulling on phantom reins, keeping the dragon from carrying out its grim task.

"How long can you keep this up, boy!? You only delay the inevitable. She _will_ die!"

"Over my dead body!"

"She's not even the same bitch you screwed back in your world! What reason do you have to save this one!?"

"Because she is the woman I swore to protect, no matter where or when she was! Lucina deserves to be free of you forever!"

"Bah! You cannot resist me forever, not with me blocking off your magic. You know there is only one way to kill me now, and I have taken it from you. Let's see how long you can keep this up, boy." The right corners of the tactician's mouth curled into a sadistic grin, while the left side parted its lips to show the man's glistening teeth.

In the depths of his soul, Robin was flailing about in the sea of Grima's fell power, trying to keep his head above the raging waves of shadows that threatened to engulf him forever. He was absolutely determined to stop his evil doppelganger, but he knew it was right on one account.

With Grima blocking off his magic, he wouldn't be able to slay it and end its reign of terror. He could throw himself off the roof, cremate himself in one of the many raging blazes about the palace, or even lop his own head off with any one of the abandoned weapons that lay strewn about. But it wouldn't matter. Grima's dark abilities could heal any injury, no matter how lethal, in the blink of an eye if the attack wasn't bathed in Naga's fire or Grima's own necromantic powers.

Without those, Robin knew his last option, taking his own life to stop the fell dragon, had failed. There were no other paths to victory. Naga had saved the Shepherds at the last moment, recalling them to the gateways of the Outrealms. Grima was none the wiser, but without Chrom's blessed Falchion to end its reign of terror, it didn't matter.

They slayed one dark god only to call forth another more powerful than the last. Robin cursed himself for tapping into Grima's latent abilities. He knew what would happen and thought he it all figured out.

But Grima was right; he was arrogant. He should've known better than to rely on the powers of a fell god. Maybe he could have hacked together a plan to take down this world's Grima without resorting to what he did. He had come up with crazy plans like that before and they worked most of the time.

He was a fool, and now he was paying the price. But that price was the destruction of a world he just saved and the life of the woman he loved. Even if she wasn't the same Lucina that he swore to love in his world, it made no difference. She was still the same princess who would lay down her life for anyone, and he would be damned if he let this overgrown lizard murder her.

But he had to inflict a fatal wound on himself using the fell dragon's power, and without his magic that was an impossible task.

Right?

That was when a throbbing pain in his jaw woke him from his spiraling thoughts. _What? It feels like Vaike clocked me in the mouth and knocked a tooth loose. Is this how Grima plans to overwhelm me? With dental pain!?_

And then it hit him. Fortunately, Grima's focus was on impaling the defenseless Exalt and not his host's mind. So Robin mustered all the will he had left…

And dragged his body back across with roof with his injured left leg.

"What's this? Do you plan on running away, boy? Or perhaps you would like to try and cast yourself off the roof? It won't matter; you cannot fell me without your magic. And no matter how far you run, you will not get any further from me. I will _always _be here, ready to take your body as easily as it is to pluck a flower," the Grima side of him taunted, its warped voice chuckling in amusement.

But the human side of the tactician just smiled. "I'm not running, but I can promise you this, Grima; you _will_ die today." The right side of the man's face frowned.

"You don't have your magic, boy. Nor do I plan on letting you have it back. You have lost. Now, you only delay the inevitable." The right eye narrowed in suspicion. It already fell victim to its host's tricks before, and that last threat was not a light one. He was planning something, but it couldn't figure out what.

The human could not access his magic or its dark powers. It saw to that, but why did it seem like he had another plan? It knew the tactician's fall back would've been Chrom and his blessed Falchion, which was why it took him out of the picture immediately after gaining control. He had nothing, so why would he make such a threat?

Robin continued to pull the body along with his maimed leg until he finally reached his destination, and when he leaned up against it, a pulse of dark magic rocked his spirit…

And Grima's.

"What!? What is this!?" the Grima half finally dropped its confident air, a look of terror and bewilderment taking its place.

"Guess it's a good thing our senses are disjointed when we are fighting over my body. Ever heard of oral hygiene? It's a kind of important if you don't want things like this to fall out." Robin allowed the dark dragon to take control of his neck so it could turn and see the grandmaster's final gambit.

The fang that the last Grima knocked loose during their titanic clash. It had been cast to roof and remained there, forgotten until now.

And now Robin was struggling to push the evil tooth over so it's sharp point, like that of a spear, was reaching for the sky. It didn't take long until he succeeded.

"DAMN YOU! I WON'T ALLOW IT!" the Grima avatar shouted and waved its controlled hand, beckoning for the dragonic familiar to return.

The serpentine head whipped around, its horn catching on Lucina's tunic and tossing her towards her allies, before rushing across the roof with a bestial roar.

"CHECKMATE, GRIMA!" Robin cried and willed his wounded leg to bend.

"STOOOOOOOOOP!"

Then an eerie silence followed and the world seemed to stop. At the same moment, the agonizing pain that rendered the children immobile stopped, but they still sat as still as statues. They were too busy looking at the grim sight in front of them.

And it was during this moment that Lucina stirred. With a violent cough, her eyes flew open and a gasp flew from her mouth, drawing the attention of her friends.

"Lucina! You're alright?!" Kjelle cried.

"Lucy, ohmygosh, are you okay!?" Cynthia ran to her sister, supporting her as she tried to sit up.

"Jumpin' jaguars, Lucina! Y' nearly gave me a heart attack! Take it easy, y' got some broken ribs n' a bruised head. Lemme patch 'em up." Brady snatched his staff and ran to her side and let loose a healing light.

"Wow… I don't even know if I should be scared or relieved, but-" Yarne never got to finish because a sudden chorus of roars and cries erupted from the sky.

"Get down!" Inigo warned as he threw himself onto Nah and Owain just in time to avoid a writhing tail.

A glass-shattering screech filled the rancid air as the dragon above thrashed about like it was on fire. It was a miracle it never struck any of the children in its death throes as it smashed more holes in the roof and decimated any standing decorations that remained.

"What's happening!?" Lucina shouted, her hands on her ears to block out the awful noise. Last thing she remembered before passing out was the dark avatar threatening to spill her blood everywhere, and now here it was flailing about like a toy sword in her hands when she was but a toddler.

Finally, it stopped, its head arched into the ash-filled sky and its jaw hung wide open. The blood red color of its many eyes faded and, like its previous counterpart, began to disintegrate into dust.

She followed the fading body until her eyes rested on the avatar, and she unconsciously gasped at the morbid sight.

The man had impaled himself on a dragon fang.

Like its owner, the fang eventually faded away, leaving a gaping hole in his chest that let loose a torrent of black blood that disintegrated as it spilled onto the roof. Having lost his support, the avatar swayed about drunkenly before falling to the floor with a wet splatter, the ebon blood spraying out from under him.

His head was turned towards Lucina and her companions and they could see the light fading from his eyes. But they refused to look away from the princess, and while weak, she could see that remaining light was nothing but tender.

And loving.

Finally, his body began to disappear, starting with the feet. The light was gone from his eyes.

He was dead.

But Lucina was never able to take her eyes away from the small smile on his face until it vanished along with the rest of him.

She couldn't explain it, but there was something about that smile that she found attractive. It resonated with her on a very deep level she couldn't comprehend.

But she shook her head to clear her mind and turned to face her friends. "It's over… For real this time…" Those thoughts on a dying man's smile would have to come later. For now, they had a world to rebuild…

* * *

They finally made it home to Ylisstol. Every other time they returned it was with relief and joy, but today there was an air of dread and sorrow about the party.

It wasn't surprising. Naga filled them in on what had transpired after she rescued them from the second Grima. Chrom hadn't spoken a word until they crossed into Ylisse.

What was he going to tell Lucina? How should he tell her? Should he even tell her that her husband was dead?

"Father! Mother! You're back!" Chrom rarely cursed Naga, but he made an exception for this moment where she didn't at least bless him with more time. He put on the best smile he could afford as he turned to face his daughter who was sprinting across the courtyard.

"Lucina…" Sumia muttered as she intercepted the girl and embraced her tightly as the princess did the same. "You shouldn't be running about so much now. I mean you are…" She shifted her gaze to Lucina's stomach, which she covered with her hands shyly.

"It hasn't been that long, Mother. I'm sure little Morgan can stand a little adrenaline," she said, a light dusting of rose on her cheeks. She then looked to her father who opened his arms welcomingly.

"Were you able to do it? Did you save that world?" she asked, her eyes already sweeping across the party.

Chrom felt his spine straighten a degree. "Yes, we did. We were able to vanquish Grima once and for all in that realm." He couldn't look her in the eyes, which were fortunately and unfortunately too engrossed with searching for the one who was no longer there. But Chrom's affirmation turned her attention back to him.

"That's wonderful, Father! You were all able to actually change fate itself." She closed her eyes and brought a loose fist to her chest in a silent prayer of thanks. "I guess Robin was the one who came up with a plan to kill a god? He always had some kind of plan."

At the mention of her spouse's name, the Shepherds fell silent and averted their eyes; something that did _not _pass Lucina's notice. "What's wrong everyone?" A little voice in the back of her head spoke of the worst, a habit she had not practiced for years since she settled down. She quickly silenced it and turned her attention to seeking out her husband.

"Robin? Are you here?" she called to the group, her ears primed so she wouldn't miss his answer. She listened and listened for what seemed to be an eternity.

But he never answered. That little voice wasn't sounding so little anymore. But she forced its silence again as she turned to her parents.

"Father. Mother. Where is Robin?" As soon as these words left her lips she noticed a distinct change in their faces. Their features fell and their eyes swiveled in every direction but hers. A long silence followed.

"Lucina…" Chrom was the one to break the silence. "Robin… Gave his life to save you and her world. He… I tried to stop him, but he called on…" He swallowed hard. "Grima's powers to defeat the Grima of that world."

Lucina's irises shrunk in disbelief, shifting to her mother for some kind of reassurance that this was a prank taken too far. Sumia shook her head. "Oh Lucina… He was on the brink of being possessed. Grima nearly killed us all, but Naga intervened and saved our lives. But the Grima of our world then threatened to rampage across that world, so Robin…" She sniffled and took a deep breath. "Took his own life."

As those words reached Lucina's ears, she instinctively clapped her hands over them, as if deafening herself to them would wake her from this perceived nightmare. But she heard them, and they slithered through her mind and her body like a frigid poison, awakening the dark thoughts that Robin helped her tuck away.

_Tiny one… powerless…_

"No…" she whimpered, her fingers digging into her skull. She was vaguely aware of her parents gripping her hands to pull them away, but her grip was strong.

_There is no hope here… no happiness…_

"No…" she whispered again, the tears finally welling in her eyes. Her parents reassuring voices and embraces felt distant.

_You come from a cursed world… thus this curse is cast upon you… you will suffer… the darkness is deeper when the light is taken… you are cursed to chase the light… and be lost to the darkness… tiny one…_

_Cursed one…_

"NOOOOOOO!" She let loose a piercing scream that stunned Chrom, Sumia and the rest of the Shepherds long enough for her to sprint towards the gate unopposed.

"Lucina!" Her mother and father cried out to her, but she couldn't hear them past the dark whispers. They couldn't even keep pace with her as her legs were fueled by a crushing grief they were trying to outrun. She didn't know where she was running to, just somewhere.

She ran and ran and ran, completely shutting out the desperate cries of Chrom and Sumia and the burning in her legs. The only things she felt were the tears running down her face and the stabbing pain in her chest.

It felt like an eternity until she finally stopped, and her grief-stricken mind hitched once she noticed her stop. She came to a stop on a small hill that overlooked the city of Ylisse with a single oak tree standing at the crest. It was her and Robin's favorite romantic hideaway when they felt the need to be alone with one another. They would come out here to watch the sun set and then race to find the first star in the young night sky.

It was here they would forget the troubles that loomed in the corners of their minds, such as Robin's guilt and Lucina's nightmares. Here, they could be in their own little world.

But now it felt so empty, despite it being so small. She was alone on this hill. He would never meet her here, or anywhere, ever again. She would never hear his voice that always put her mind at ease again. She would never see that handsome smile that would grace his lips whenever he saw her again. She would never feel his touch that would magically relax her until she felt that she could melt in his arms again.

Never again.

He was gone.

Just like that.

Another barrage of sobs forced their way up her throat and the princess fell to her knees, hunched over so her forehead touched the cool grass beneath her. She then pounded the earth with her fists, as if perhaps it was a doorway to her beloved tactician and she just had to knock.

But it was just a fantasy. She was alone, and was cursed to remain so.

_Why…? _She asked herself. _Why am I left alone again…? Am I truly cursed to never know happiness? Cursed to wander the darkness forever with the light just teasing me along?_

She remembered Grima of her world, the one that forced Robin into his suicide just now, speaking words of doom and curses to her during their battle. It seemed as though the dark dragon was more interested in plunging her into despair until she begged for death than actually killing her, as the beast spoke more than it fought.

And now its words were coming true. Lucina strove to be happy, falling in love with a man she at first dreaded. They found their daughter from a future unknown, a future where Robin was still alive. They had even did… that.

Normally, her face would grow hot just from the thought of that act, but now it only intensified the pain in her heart. He wouldn't be there to see her give birth to their child.

Their child…

Their _CHILD!_

As Morgan's face popped into her head, her eyes, shut tight to hold in the tears, sprang open. How could she forget about Morgan? Not just the one that she carried now, but the one she and Robin took in as their own when they found her wandering in those ruins.

While she took after her father in many ways, including cases of amnesia, there was one thing that Lucina loved about her: Like her father, she brightened her day just by being there. Her mere presence felt natural to Lucina, and a smile was never far from her lips when they were together.

She was still here.

She still lit up her world.

If there was one thing she learned from Robin it was that there was always a silver lining, no matter how grim the situation. He claimed it was how he was able to come up with the craziest strategies on the fly and make them work. He always looked for that one path that leads to victory without cost.

At first, she thought it was because he was just smart and didn't realize it. But as she got to know him more and more, she found that it was less his brains and more his state of mind. Perhaps due to his lack of memories, he was always trying to make the world a brighter place than it was. A boundless optimist is what she called him.

And she hated that at first. How could he be so gods damn happy-go-lucky all the time when the fate of worlds rested on his shoulders? How could he smile when he was the one suffering, or when the darkness threatened to overwhelm them?

That was when she learned that was just who he was. There was no strategy. There was no intention. Just him being himself.

And that's what caused her to fall in love with him. That boundless optimism. That ability to smile and move forward no matter how dark a place one was in. That was the man she loved, and it was time for her to get up off her arse and do the same.

So, with a ragged sniffle, she pushed herself up off the grass and stared over the city. The sun had started to go down, which set the town alight in a warm glow. Even though he was no longer here, she wouldn't fall to despair.

She would rise above this so-called curse. She had two little lights to guide her along after all…

* * *

**Finally done! What'd you all think? I am so sorry for taking so long to get this up. I hit a HUGE writer's block on Lucina's reaction. Got up to the curse part and then my brain just hit a wall. But I was finally able to surmount it! I hope. So, please Read and Review. I will be posting a new FE fic in the next few weeks, so keep an eye out for it if you like my work. Until next time!**


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